Pipe-wrench.



' PATENTBD'JULY 24. 1906.

J. G. LIND. PIPE WRENCH. nrmonmn FILED 11017.29, 1905.

F h TN 5.5555.- 7

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24. 1906.

, Application filed November 29, 1905. Serial No. 289.645.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. LIND, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Pipe-Wrenches, of which the f dllowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin drawings.

e reference-letters indicate like parts. Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pipe-wrench. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fi 3 is a. view in elevation of the hinge-pin an of the two handles as seen in section on line m m of Fig. 1 when the hingepin is in operative position. Fig. 4 shows the'same parts as Fig. 3, but with the hingepm in inoperative position.

My invention is an improvement on the ipe-Wrench shown and described in Letters atent of the United States, No. 459,377,

' dated September 8, 1891, and issued to me.

V handle of my improlved t as t My'invention consists of the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as hereinafter described, and specificall set forth in the claims.-

n the drawings, A represents the long 1pewrench and is hand-operated. ebent portion B,

which is made with a transverse mortise, as indicated by the dotted lines I) b in Fig. -1 and shown in elevation at b in Figs. 3 and 4. The handle A terminates beyond the bent portionB thereof in a jaw C, said parts A, B, and 0 being integral. On account of the mortise. b the portion B is wider than the handle A, as seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. A circular hole extends through the bent portion B of the hantile, as best shown at D in Fig. 4. r

The outer edge of the jaw C has the concave seat E, which is provided with transverse beveled teeth or serrations, and it also has a smooth convex ortion F and a small concave seat G, wit transverse beveled teeth or serrations.

The other handle H of this wrench is spring-operateias hereinafter described. It

has a straight petition of sufiicient thickness to fit slidingly in the mortise bb of the portion'B of the handle A and is made with two shoulders I. The handle H terminates in a hook-shaped jaw J, whose inner edge is concave and formed on a long curve and provided with. transverse beveled teeth or serrations, as seen at K. The jaw J-is of the-same thickness as the portion B of the handle A, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

Circular holes L extend through the handle H in series, preferably equally spaced apart, and are of the same size as the holes D of the portion B of the handle A. Each of said holes L is capable of registering with said holes D and to be continuous therewith. A shallow groove M on one side of the handle H extends between the holes L throughout the series thereof.

The pin N, which serves for a hinge-pin or fulcrum-pivot of my improved wrench, has a cylindrical stem of a diameter to fit slidingly.

in the said holes. The hinge-pin N has a head 0, preferably knurled, and at the opposite end it has the concentric small pro ec tion or guide P. The pin N has two slots Q B, one extending longitudinally and having a closed end and the other extending circumferentially nearly half-way around the pin and having a closed end; but the two slots are continuous, opening'one into the other at a right angle, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 1 A lockin -pin Sv extends through the ortion B of the andle A at a right angle to t e hingein N, and the end of the S extends oosely into the slot, so that t e hin e-pin N can be moved into either position s own in Figs. 3 or '4 or at any intermediate point within the slots Q R.

Two s rings T and U are fastened by the screws ,V to the outer edge of the 1 {aw C. Theinner s ringThas at its free end a anged head W, w ich slidingly engages the contiguous edge of the handle H. The outer spring U is longer than the s ring T and has a flanged head Y, which s idinglfi engages the contiguous edge of the handle The operation and advantages of this improved construction are as follows: The two members of the Wrench are pivotally connected, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. When in the relation shown in Fig. 1, the jaws C J are capable of an angular opening to a certain 0 thereof. He then draws out the hinge-pin to the-position shown in Fig. 4, the slot Q allowing such movement of the hinge-pin N along the locking-pin S. By this longitudinal movement the hinge-pin N is withdrawn from the hole D of the portion B of the handle A (represented in Fig. 4) and also from that hole L of the handle H in which it was formerly mounted. When the parts are thus brought into the position illustrated in Fig. l, the handle H is movable longitudinally-in either direction through the mortise b b of the portion B of the handle A. The handle H is thus moved until that one of the holes L of the handle A which is selected registers with the hole D of the handle A, whereupon the hinge-pin N is pushed inwardly and passes through said selected hole into and through said hole D. The head 0 is then turned, and the slot it of the hinge-pin N then receives the locking-pin S, as is seen in Fig. 3. The wren ch is then in operative condition, having the jaws C J with such angular capacity as is 1 desired, the handle H being normally pressed by the spring U to brin it close to the handle A. This adj ustment oithe jaws C J one with the other and their operations are precisely the same as is shown and described in my said Letters Patent No. 459,377. My present improvement thereon consists of the following additional features: The handle H has on one side the shallow groove M, which extends between the holes L, and the hingepin N has the projection P at its end, which fits loosely in said groove. The projection P serves as a guide, and the roove M serves as a guide-slot in the longitu inal movement of the handle H above described, whereas in the construction shown and described in my said Letters Patent it was necessary carefullyto bring by handthe holes of both members of the wrench in alinement, so that they exactly register one with the others before the hinge-pin could be inserted through said holes. it is now only necessary forthe operator'v to press gently with one hand upon the head 0 of the hinge-pin N while he is sliding with his other hand the handle H along the mortise b b of the other handle, and by this pressure upon the head 0 the guide P within the guide-slot M enters and centers the hingepin N in the hole L which he has Selected,'

and the prior careful registration of the holes which heretofore has been necessary is dis-- pensedfw th. The 'mainspring Uf has the function normally to press the jaws toward each other. The strain upon this spring, however, tends to weaken it and it is by excessive strain liable to breakage. The spring T does not impair the action or utility of the spring U, but as its flanged head Wis nearer the fulcrum or pivot of the wrench its head W soon comesinto forcible contact with the handle ii and begins-to slide alongsaid handle and then the spring T. begins to bend .upon the jaw C toinsure a more forcible biteupon the pipe, which is held by the-wrench, and especially to take some of the total spring-pressure upon itself and to that extent to relieve the spring U, and thus to save the spring U from breakage or undue strain, which wouid impair its tension after repeated use. The jaw C has the three working surfaces shown in .the drawings-the lar e concave surface E, the small concave su ace G, and the intermediate convex surface F and the jaw J has the lon concave surface K and the straight surface The ortion F of the jaw C and the smooth, thus a1 owing the im lement when pro erly adjusted to seize and 'old an article wit out liability to mar the same.

In the drawings is represented a pipe Z, held by the concave edge K of the jaw J on one side and theconcave edge E of the jaw C on the opposite side. The diameter of the pipe Z is indicated by the dotted line a a.

By an examination of Fig; 1 it is seen that the bite of the teeth of the jaw C upon the ipe Z (to turn said pipe in the direction of t e arrow 2) is at and near the point m. Hence the force of the jaw 0 upon the pipe Z when the handle A closes to the handle H is exerted not diametrically of the pipe Z, but tangen- 8o ortion F o the jaw J are tially thereto and at a point out of said diametrical line a a and somewhat remote therefrom, whereas in the use of the wrench shown and described in my said Letters Patent the convex end on its spring-pressed jaw exerts its force in a direction in line with the diameter of the pipe This is an important matter especially in coupling and uncou ling old and rusty pipes, which by reason 0 exposure to dampness, as when lyin underground, are weak and liable to be bro en. of my former wrench the pipe is seized by a crushing pressure directly radially inward; but when the wrench herein described is used the pipe is seized and moved tangentiaily, in which case the pipe, though rusty, may safely be screwed or unscrewed.

I claim as a novel and useful invention ind desire to secure by Letters Patent 1 1. The improved jaw with an intermediate bend which is provided with a mortlse and with two opposite holes in alinement and extending into said mortise, a second integral handle and jaw, -which second-named handle is movably longitudinally in said mortise and is provided With the use ipe-wrench herein described, conslsting 0 an integral handle and,

with a series of holes in alinement witheach end and a slot opening intothe first-named slot at a right angle and having a closed end, a guide or projection at the end of the hingepin fitting loosely in said channel of the second-named handle which hin e-pin is adapted to be mounted in the holes of the firstnamed handle and in either of the holes of the second-named handle, and a lookin -pin extending through the first-named han le to engage said hinge-pin in the slots thereof so as to limit the movements of said 2. In a pipe-wrench, the combination of two handles, one of which is provided with a mortise and two holes in alinement o enin into said mortise .on oplposite sides t ereo and the other of which andles is longitudinally grooved on one side to form a guideslot and has a series of holes in alinement with said slot, and is longitudinally movable in said mortise, and a hinge-pin adapted to be mounted in said first-mentioned holes of the one handle and at the same time in either of the holes in the second-named handle and having a guide at its end which extends into said guide-slot.

3. In a pipe-Wrench, the combination of a hinge-pin. v

the first-named handle,"a fulcrum-pin adapted to connect pivotally said two handles and passing through the two ivot-holes ofthe first-named handle and eit hole of the second-named handle, a spring fastened at one end on the first-named handle and having its free end in o erative con- .tact with'one end of the secon -named handle, and a jaw on the opposite end of the second-named handle adapted to cooperate with the first-named j aw and provided with a concave inner edge'having transverse teeth.

In testimony whereof I-afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES G. LIND. Witnesses:

WARREN R. PERCE, ANNIE E. PERcE;

er selected pivot- 

